


Sacred Arrows

by Alecto



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noragami Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fantasy, Gods, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Pre-Slash, Shinto, Spirit Gate 12, ygocollablove
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28655526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: Seto has received a summon from Inari. Whether he wants to or not, he must answer it.As his Regalia, Katsuya has no choice but to follow too.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44
Collections: Spirit Gate Round 12





	Sacred Arrows

**Author's Note:**

> Ficlet for the Battle City Challenge- Spirit Gate Round 12  
> Prompt: Hallowed

With his hands shoved deep in his pockets, Katsuya trailed after Seto as they weaved their way through the festival crowd. The tall, surly-faced god projected a "piss off" aura that had mortals scrambling out of his warpath even though they couldn't perceive him. Then again, the mortals would think Seto insane for wearing a high-collared shirt and flared trenchcoat at the height of summer if they could.

Gods did not sweat. But once-mortal humans like Katsuya did.

Fucking unfair.

Katsuya jogged to keep pace with Seto's long strides, doing his best not to get distracted by the festive atmosphere and stalls. If he lost Seto in the crowd, the god would have zero sympathies and leave him to find his own way back to the tiny shrine they called home on the other side of the city. Soon, they were at the steps that led to the shrine's inner sanctum. Katsuya positively itched for not having performed the expected cleansing rituals before approaching, but Seto was already mounting the final set of steps two at a time.

Something brushed against Katsuya's ankles. Looking down, he was greeted by the snickering face of a pure white fox. It gave a bark that sounded like mocking laughter, then wound between his legs, almost tripping him in the process, before bounding up the stairs past Seto and into the shrine.

Fucking kitsunes.

At the top of the stairs, a shoji door slid open to reveal a pretty miko. As Katsuya passed, he glimpsed a red seal stamped on the side of her neck. Not a gifted mortal then, but a god's Regalia. Like him.

The fox was also waiting inside. It led them into a traditional sitting room with a low table and cushions for seating. Without a backward glance, it trotted to where the shrine's god lounged by an open window that overlooked the shrine grounds and plopped its head into their lap.

Mai, one of the Inari god collective, directed their enchanting violet eyes in their direction. Their ruby red lips quirked in greeting. "Seto, how kind of you to come so promptly." Then her eyes slid over to lock with Katsuya's. "You brought your cute little guard-dog along."

Katsuya bit back a growl.

Sweeping his coat behind him, Seto harrumphed as he sank onto a cushion without waiting for an invitation.

Mai rose to their feet, earning a whine from the fox they dislodged from their lap. "Hush," they scolded before crossing the room to where Katsuya stood. Their long, painted fingers pinched his cheek, causing heat and a faint ache to bloom under the flesh. "And you, child, don't look so sullen. Gods forbid you take after his prickliness."

"Get to the point, Mai. What do you want?" Seto's stern tone sliced as cleanly as the sharp edges of Katsuya's vessel form.

With a beleaguered sigh, Mai released Katsuya's face and joined Seto at the table. "I have a favor to ask of a dear friend."

This time, Katsuya didn't stop his snort. Seto didn't have "friends." Katsuya had yet to see the god afford his brethren more than the thinnest veneer of respect.

And Seto deemed him "disrespectful."

Mai continued. Their previous humor had fled, instead replaced by a grimness. "An ayakashi is using my hallowed shrine as its hunting grounds. As far as I can tell, it's possessed a pretty but hapless mortal girl and is feeding on the lust of men she's met here."

Seto straightened, but his politely blank expression didn't change. "It's your shrine. Exorcise it."

"The ayakashi doesn't dare approach this close. It sticks to the outer gate. If I had discovered its machinations sooner, I might have been able to handle it myself. As you know, my Regalia is not suited for battle. But I fear it's only a matter of time. It will either grow strong enough to try and challenge me directly or do irreparable harm elsewhere. You and your Regalia—" Mai's gaze slid toward Katsuya once more. "—should be more than able to meet the challenge. So old friend, will you do me this favor?"

"I'm not in the business of favors. Not for gods," Seto sneered.

Once again, Katsuya wondered what had happened to make Seto so hostile toward his fellow gods.

As if by magic, Seto reached into his coat and produced one pristine sheet of A2 paper. It was covered in the precise typography like something printed from a computer. He slapped it onto the table. "A standard contract. You know my fee structure, Mai, and I require half up-front as a deposit."

"No 'friends and family' discount?" Mai quirked an eyebrow.

Seto glared harder.

Mai laughed. "Very well. Seto, you should be the god of contracts given your turn of late, not the god of—"

Seto cut them off. He always did when someone spoke too intimately about a past that Katsuya was dying (if he wasn't already dead) to know more about. "Will you sign or not? I don't have all day. I have other clients."

Instead of answering with words, Mai's rhinestone-adorned index finger swooped through the air. The purple trail of light rendered into a single character, 舞. Presumably, their seal—it was the same character tattooed on their Regalia's neck. Leaning forward, they caught the ghostly seal between their fingers and lips and blew it like a kiss. It drifted down as gently as cherry blossom petals and imprinted itself onto Seto's contract.

In return, Seto's nimble finger traced his seal directly over the other empty signature line. Reflexively, Katsuya pressed a light touch to his left breast, where the same seal was printed on his skin, 矢—arrow.

No matter what Seto claimed, Katsuya knew he was more than "a minor god of archery." One day, Katsuya would find out everything that Seto was trying to keep from him.

"The contract is sealed," declared Seto with blue eyes that always seemed to glow in the wake of signing one.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, here are the overly involved notes that I did for a fandom fusion that no one asked for.
> 
> Regalias are the souls of humans with pure souls/intentions, who often died tragically and young. They are given a second chance by gods when claimed as their Regalia. Regalias have two names, one for each of the forms they are capable of assuming: a human form that looks like what they did in life and a vessel form, which is a tool that is varied depending on their god. I haven't decided quite what kind of sword, other than not a katana, but Katsuya's vessel form for purging ayakashi is a sword.
> 
> Katsuya's name in life was 克也 (Katsuya). When Seto claimed him as a Regalia and renamed him, he combined a character from Katsuya's living name 克 with the clan name of his Regalias (of which Katsuya is the only member at this time) 矢. Which is pronounced Katsuya! (Yay! Mental gymnastics to not have to change names as they're written in English). 
> 
> (Katsuya has no idea that his current personal name is so close to his name when he was living, though. Regalias do not retain memories of their human lives so they are free of their burdens.)
> 
> The seal on Katsuya isn't the modern rendition of 矢, but the older seal script version of the character  
> 
> 
> So to summarize, Katsuya's Regalia names are as follows:  
> Personal name: 克矢 (romanized as Katsuya)  
> Vessel name: 克器 (romanized as Koki)
> 
> Having chosen to treat Inari as a collective of gods rather than one single deity, Mai in this fic presents as female but uses gender-neutral pronouns.
> 
> Damn, I've given a lot of thought to a fusion AU I will probably never write more of. *shurgs*


End file.
